Top 10 Conspiracy Theories

I love conspiracy theories. I know this blog is usually discussing popular culture, but I thought I would branch out a little bit. It's simply human nature that causes us to speculate and answer questions on what's written between the lines. There are a lot of theories that are obviously complete bullshit, but many have a lot more valid evidence than you might expect. So now I've complied a list of the top ten conspiracy theories that could genuinely be true.

#10 The Moon Landings

I think everyone knows this one. It's quite a simple premise to be fair; that iconic moment of man walking on the moon for the first time was allegedly faked in order for the USA to win 'The Space Race'. It's not completely illogical when you think about it; why not just cheat to win 'the Space Race'? It's a lot less expensive. Why bother even trying when nobody had even come close to accomplishing anywhere near that before? Isn't it a little strange that it went off without a hitch when even getting a man into space was an already difficult task with low success rates. By cheating you increase national pride, strike a major blow in 'The Cold War', NASA gets a huge amount of funding, and diverts public attention away from the controversial Vietnam War. It's a win-win situation.

That's not to say there aren't some flaws with the theories. Simple arguments such as the lack of stars present in the sky can be solved by science. There are no stars present because the landing took place in the lunar day, and so the sun outshone all other stars like it would do on Earth. And those hotspots of light that look like they're being emitted from spotlights. Well that's simply the moon reflecting sunlight so you can see it clearly in the night sky. There are also parts to this theory that are simply raised from misconceptions. Points like how the flag shouldn't be flapping, as it's located in a vacuum. However this is simply not true; in a vacuum a flag will flap uncontrollably, debunking that myth. But there are some genuinely interesting points that do raise a few questions. Why were all the data tapes destroyed? Although I'm sure there is a valid reason for it, it still raises suspicions. The theory is almost certainly false, hence why I ranked it so low on this list. There is photographic evidence of man landing on the moon from external sources, and the sites are still visible today. It's also quite difficult to fake bringing home moon rocks that are older than any other rocks on Earth. So I'm calling this one a lie; although that hasn't stopped it from becoming one of the most popular conspiracies in modern times.

#9 The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the world most famous for having an alarmingly high rate of shipwrecks and missing planes. There are many theories surrounding why this has happened, and the majority of them are just absurd. There's even some claims that this is the result from the wrath of Atlantis, and amazingly has even been blamed on alien technology, which I'm sure would be a valid argument on 'The History Channel', but on this blog we make our factual points from science. The most famous incident is that of 'Flight 19', who were a training squadron of fighter planes during World War 2. They lost contact with their base shortly after entering the triangle on a training exercise from Fort Lauderdale and haven't been seen since. This can quite easily be explained by the simple fact that they got lost and simply ran out of fuel in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The West Indies is a maze of similar looking islands and without GPS the similar and many islands would look identical to each other. It was a simple yet fatal mistake to make.

The number of ships lost in the area can also be explained very easily. The rock beneath the triangle is rich in methane deposits, and so when the sea floor is disturbed huge amounts of methane rush to the surface. As any diving enthusiast will tell you, when gas is bubbled through water it diminishes its surface tension and significantly lowers its density, and so in large enough amounts Methane can easily sink huge vessels, making it seem like they were just pulled under. With this conclusive evidence we can almost certainly say that these conspiracy theories are just bollocks. But who doesn't love an exciting and imaginative theory over the tame facts of science?

#8 Roswell & Area 51

The Roswell incident was the crashing of a US weather balloon that was tracking Soviet missile strikes in 1947, near a ranch in New Mexico. Some people claim that this wasn't a weather balloon and was actually a spaceship that the US government decided to cover up because of absolutely no reason what so ever. Some of the theories littered around the internet are a little farfetched, with people believing the images above are actually of an alien autopsy. I'm still amazed that people actually think that; despite looking like a dummy and having been proved a hoax, people all over the internet still think the US government are exploiting aliens in secret.

My favorite theory has to be the one circling around the web about how it was a plane transporting "grotesque, child sized aviators". These things were apparently created by Nazi scientists for the Soviets just after the Second World War to allow the USSR to create havoc on US soil. Why they chose a tiny little ranch in the middle of desert over the heart of New York City is beyond me, and also how it would create havoc is a little strange, unless the aliens had nuclear bombs strapped to their back, so I'm going to call that theory laughably bad. The idea of extraterrestrials landing on Earth isn't ludicrous, but if that event did happen it sure as hell wouldn't happen like these theories suggest. At least they do give me a good laugh reading them.

#7 Big Brother

The 'Big Brother' theory is based around the idea of a secret totalitarian government ready to rule the world; or the 'New World Order' as some people like to refer to it. Rumor has it that this new order is watching our every move through government agencies that monitor their citizens. It may just be people's love for dystopian literature, but there's no doubt that George Orwell's '1984', where this theory originates, covers some realistic and poignant topics, so why not believe some of them? I don't see why it's such a absurd idea either; the government are constantly keeping tabs on us. It would probably be quite scary if you found out how much information they actually know about us, so who knows what happens behind closed doors.

It is a major step up from factual evidence to believing that there is genuinely a secret government profiting from ongoing surveillance techniques. But maybe signs like the recent NSA and PRISM scandals are proof that this is currently happening. I do highly doubt that as the public loves a good few scare stories to keep us all paranoid, but I suppose it is a potential scenario, hence why it places quite highly on this list.

#6 HAARP

'HAARP' is an acronym for the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Programme, which doesn't sound too scary until you find out that it's a top secret research facility that apparently has the potential to control the weather. This isn't a particularly well known theory, but its plausibility and significance means it places highly on this list. On paper it doesn't look too scary either; it's just an advanced tool that is used to monitor the ionosphere, which is a region of the upper atmosphere. But it all becomes a bit suspicious when you realise that this harmless research facility is owned by the US Air Force. It's also completely filtered on Google Maps, which makes you wonder what the hell happens there, and what are they so desperate to keep private. Surely you only hide things if it would jeopardize your own countries security, something a research facility simply does not do.

The machine works by firing high frequency transmissions up into the atmosphere, which means in theory it could be used as a tool for manipulating weather patterns. Already recent natural disasters have been blamed on this piece of equipment, and although I highly doubt that, it is very possible in theory. It has even been claimed that this apparatus could flip the Earth's magnetic poles, which does happen anyway, but this wouldn't be following the natural cycle. Other theories suggest that it could be broadcasting mind controlling waves, which might be taking its powers too far, but then nobody really knows what happens there behind closed doors. Maybe this is just too good to be true; there isn't any conclusive evidence saying that its powers are being abused, and if anything it has been a large contributor to science. But that still doesn't explain why it's a restricted area. So I guess the conspiracies are still valid theories. 

#5 Manufactured Diseases

Bio-terrorism is certainly nothing new, and we just need to look through the history books to see that chemical warfare has been a big issue. Some of the biggest diseases in recent years have been allegedly created by humans, and none has been more publicly discussed than the AIDS epidemic. It makes perfect sense in theory; the pharmaceutical industry is worth tens of billions. Why cure something when you can make more money out of it? What's even more scary is that these diseases have apparently been used to control entire populations. Why this would be allowed to happen is the bigger question. Some say it's to punish homosexuals, and others claim it's the western world's way of controlling the overpopulated continent of Africa. None of these are probably true, as science has already determined the evolution of AIDS, and that wasn't from a laboratory.

But that doesn't stop the skeptics. Some go as far too say it was yet another test during 'The Cold War'. Africa is apparently the test subject for large scale chemical warfare. It's not stupid to think something as horrendous as that could happen, especially at a time of global instability. But it does seem very unlikely. It is a very scary prospect in theory, and certainly plausible, but there's no evidence to suggest that this is the case. 

#4 The Illuminati

Carrying on from the 'Big Brother' conspiracy is this internet favorite that also centers around the idea of a 'New World Order'. This one differs in the fact that this new powerful organization are not in fact watching us from surveillance cameras and databases, but actually through their symbol, the 'All Seeing Eye'. This means that they have been watching humanity through various mechanisms that range from bank notes to episodes of 'Family Guy'. Doesn't sound too scary until you realise that this is a real group that was set up in 18th century Bavaria, and took form in a conglomeration of powerful figures. The meetings and society were officially outlawed, but that hasn't quelled the rumors that they still meet to this very day.

Various events in history have also been blamed on these powerful individuals. Everything from The French Revolution to the assassination of JFK has been attributed to their lucrative activities. The theory is clear that this group have a lot of power and don't just meet up secretly to exchange recipes for fruit cake, but I can't help but not feel intimidated by what is highly likely to be complete bullshit. I think this 'All Seeing Eye' theory is going a little overboard; as far as science goes that is technically impossible. But is a powerful and secret group that occasionally meet up and influence world events really such a strange idea? I'm not sure, but then I watch too many spy films.
 
#3 JFK Assassination

After fifty years of constant debating and pondering the same question keeps appearing again and again; who really did kill JFK? Of course the government are going to say it was Lee Harvey Oswald, but then they're not going to admit they were wrong on such a huge matter. It seems unlikely that he was the sole killer, all the evidence points to multiple shooters, and that blank space has been helpfully and unreliably filled in by the internet. There are theories out there that suggest it was 'The Illuminati'. There are others that suggest it was payback from the communists, and even the occasional theory surrounding The Mafia's and US government's involvements. One thing is clear; the official evidence and explanation is a bit sketchy, and the fact that hundreds of witnesses have been silenced rings a few alarm bells in my mind.

The grassy knoll is an area that was ignored for no reason by the official investigation, despite multiple witnesses hearing gunshots and seeing suspicious activity in that location. Eight people allegedly smelt gunpowder in that area, and another 51 witnesses said they heard shots coming from the grassy knoll. Surely they can't all be wrong, but their testimony was largely ignored. Even by just looking at the film you can clearly see that the bullet is coming from a completely different direction to where Oswald was said to be shooting from. Many claim that Oswald was just the scapegoat. He was a former soldier with below average marksman training, and only had a standard bolt action rifle with him at the time, which would make firing multiple accurate shots in such a short space of time almost impossible. Whichever way you look at it, the common explanation just doesn't add up. It really is alarming that some of the theories on the incident are genuinely very plausible, and that is only increased by the lack of reliable evidence to go on

#2 Death of Princess Diana

No I haven't been hired by The Daily Express to write this, but I will admit that the official explanation for this tragedy is a little suspicious. But that doesn't mean I'm going to keep banging on about it like The Express thinks it's obliged to do. But just looking over the facts makes me wonder what really happened; it's not everyday that a former royal is subjected to a fatal car crash in a secluded area, conveniently right after her split with Prince Charles. Is it really silly to believe that The Royal Family or MI6 had something to do with it? Surely they must have still been monitoring her at the time.

The official explanation is that driver Henri Paul was drunk at the time of the accident, which has been deduced by blood samples that were taken at the scene. Other explanations have hinted at the paparazzi being involved. I for one would happily put my foot down to get away from what may just be the lowest form of human being. But evidence has shown that this was unlikely, since the paparazzi were quite a way back when the crash actually happened. What really doesn't add up is that there was no CCTV footage throughout the whole tunnel in the center of Paris. There were fourteen cameras in that tunnel, and surprisingly not one of them had any footage on it. What's even more suspicious is that the driver of a Fiat Uno, that scraped Diana's car, committed suicide a few years after the event. What for nobody will ever know. When put together this does seem a little odd, nothing really adds up, and the possibility of murder is unfortunately genuine. No wonder that this has become such a highly controversial and popularly believed theory.

#1 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

I'm not a person who ends up believing these theories very often, but as for this one, this one certainly has a lot more weight to it than any others I've examined. After going through all the theories to this disaster I do genuinely think there is something that the US government is keeping from its citizens. Their official report was terribly flawed and seemed to end up blaming nobody. This is only made more suspicious by the fact that the wreckage of the towers is still kept behind locked doors. What the hell for? Is it because they don't want people to analyze the remains and find something they're not supposed to. All the evidence points towards this even being a false flag operation, meaning the US government would act on purpose to side with the public. In this case it would probably be so people would side with the 'War on Terror'. You might think that would never happen in a land which is said to be the home of the brave, but the US have planned another false flag operation in the past; 'Operation Northwoods' at the height of 'The Cold War'. Why would the USA want to invade the Middle East? There's a lot of oil there for starters; just look at how much the major oil companies have profited from the war that followed.

Of course this is just a theory, it needs evidence, and that for me lies in the actual structure of the building. Both World Trade Centers were made out of steel, a material renowned for being able to withstand heat, and steel buildings have been known to burn for days without collapsing. So why was the official cause of collapse been labelled as burning? The answer may lie in a composition called thermite, which as the ability to easily burn through a wide variety of metals. A lot would be needed to burn through solid steel, but this composition is soluble and so therefore can be mixed with liquids such as paint. That way tonnes of thermite would be indistinguishably laced through the walls of the two buildings. This gets more interesting when you find out that multiple professors found traces of thermite in the dust debris of the two buildings, but for some reason these studies have been completely ignored.

Then there's the issue of the black box, a tool that is used to record inside the cockpit of planes. It's actually bright orange to make it easy to identify and has one sole purpose; to survive serious impact at all costs. Any aircraft pilot will tell you that there's about a 99% chance that this piece of equipment will be recovered from the wreckage. By some miracle all the boxes were too damaged to recover data from, something that is almost impossible, and a little hard to believe, like somebody is trying to cover something up. Osama Bin Laden did admit to orchestrating the attacks. That's Bin Laden, the former CIA agent. Am I expected to believe he cut all ties with them. It seems logical to me that he posed as the scapegoat. There are even witnesses that claim they saw the hijackers in the plane's cockpit before it even took off. These people are now being hunted down by the CIA, and although they're not a reliable source it does bring up yet more questions. Looking at the evidence you can see why I genuinely believed the government had something to do with this. A false flag operation seems the most likely cause, and until the investigation is allowed to be viewed by the public then I'm sticking with this theory.